It does seem strange. The Houston native is a bundle of boundless energy as she attacks each event with a special kind of confidence first-year collegians don't often exhibit.

But as recent as two months ago, that description didn't fit Stephens at all. Gym Dog coach Suzanne Yoculan still can't believe the turnaround.

''It's amazing, she was afraid of going backward on vault, she was afraid of releasing on bars for her hecht (letting go) and she was afraid of doing two layouts on beam,'' Yoculan said. ''She'd balk on the bars. It was one thing after the other, I was like 'Marline, come on.' ''

After struggling her first few months with the team, consistency is now Stephens' forte and those preseason fears are now history.

Freshman Marlene Stephens, who has a season-high all-around score of 39.375 this season, is congratulated after her beam routine against North Carolina.Jeff Blake/Staff

''Last fall was a rough time for me,'' Stephens said. ''For a while it seemed like nothing would come together before I finally started doing more routines and things began to click.''

Stephens has the scores to prove it.

Along with a season-high 39.375 in the all-around last week at Kentucky, Stephens has gone as high as 9.8 on vault, 9.875 on bars and 9.95 on floor.

''The way Marline's developed as a freshman is the way you want your entire team to develop, little steps, constantly moving forward every week,'' Yoculan. ''You can see it with her in practice.''

Stephens takes her success in stride, although she knows her scores still need to get higher but feels that will happen as the second-half of the season begins to unfold.

Saturday

Michigan

7:30 p.m.

''I'm really enjoying myself right now,'' she said. ''I hope the rest of the year, and the next three years continue like the first half of this one has gone.''

Talent apparently runs in the Stephens family. Sixteen-year old sister Melanie is a cheerleader, model and aspiring actress having traveled to Los Angeles for screen tests and photo shoots.

L.A. almost became Marline's home as well.

Before visiting Georgia, Stephens dreamed of going to UCLA. But after seeing the Bulldog program for herself, Stephens canceled her visit to the Los Angeles university and made Athens her new home.

''I love it here,'' Stephens said. ''The fans are great. Before I got here I was told the team really got a lot of support, but until you actually experience it, it's really pretty amazing.''

For Gym Dog fans, the feeling is mutual.

Stephens has already become a crowd favorite as one of the team's most dynamic performers. Even on bars, an event which caused her the most problems before the season began.

''She's really come a long way. As little as month ago, we weren't even considering her on bars,'' Yoculan said. ''We were also considering changing her routine because she would not let go. But Jay (assistant coach Jay Clark) talked and we decided the only way for her to do well was to keep the release in and if she doesn't do it she won't compete bars. Now, she may be one of our top three.''